Help with travel costs for NHS Patients

Healthcare Travel Cost schemeThe Red Funnel Healthcare Travel Scheme

The Wightlink Healthcare Discount Scheme

The Hovertravel Healthcare Scheme

The Wightlink Healthcare Discount Schemehttp://www.wightlink.co.uk/ferry-travel-info/ tickets-and-prices/healthcare-discount-scheme

NHS-funded hospital appointments

Wightlink offers 50% ferry discounts exclusively for Isle of Wight residents travelling to the mainland for an NHS-funded hospital appointment. 50% discounts apply to standard and economy vehicle fares ans standard foot passenger fares for Isle of Wight residents.

How to book

Book in advance on 0333 999 7333 or on the day of travel at a Wightlink ticket office, quoting Wightlink Healthcare Discount. You will need to produce your appointment card/letter/SMS referring to your appointment in order to collect tickets from the relevant ticket office on the day of travel.

The discount is available for Isle of Wight residents only and applies to the patient plus one for adults. If the patient is a child, two parents or guardians can travel at a discount.

Exclusions

Patients travelling for a primary healthcare appointment e.g. GP, Dentist, Pharmacy or an Optician.

Online booking of tickets, discounts with any other offer or promotion, account customers, and season/multilink tickets.

Additional information on the Wightlink Healthcare Travel Scheme can be found on www.wightlink.co.uk

The Hovertravel Healthcare Schemehttp://www.hovertravel.co.uk/nhs-healthcare-scheme/ index.php

Offers the patient and a companion a reduced travel cost when attending NHS hospital appointments in Southsea, Portsmouth.

Return fare from Ryde to Southsea (valid for 90 days & includes FREE Hoverbus)

£10.30

Through ticket to St Mary’s Hospital with Stagecoach £12.65

Through ticket to Queen Alexandra Hospital with Stagecoach

£13.90

Terms and conditions

• This fare is eligible for in, out and radiotherapy patients on production of appointment letter or card for hospital only.

• The fare is available for the patient and one (carer, friend, family, etc.) therefore £13.90 per person.

• Ticket is only to be sold for the date of appointment only.

• The tickets include free travel on the Hoverbus – simply show your ticket to the Hoverbus driver to receive free travel.

• Hoverbus and local CCG and NHS Trusts will audit applications to guard against fraudulent use.

• Customers found misusing discounted tickets will incur a surcharge to the equivalent standard return fare and will be excluded from purchasing tickets under the scheme in future.

• Hovertravel reserves the right to review fares periodically and amend ot withdraw this scheme at any time without prior notice.

• Travel is subject to availability and standard terms and conditions apply.

Exclusions

The scheme cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion and is not available to account customers.

Tickets cannot be purchased online.

Additional information on the Hovertravel Healthcare travel Scheme can be found on www.hovertravel.co.uk

The details of these schemes may be subject to updates.Version 2 September 2017

The Red Funnel Healthcare Travel Schemehttp://www.redfunnel.co.uk/ferry-travel/ healthcare-travel-scheme

Applies to Isle of Wight residents attending NHS funded appointments under a named NHS Consultant at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and gives the patient plus a companion a return foot passenger discounted ticket (£9.70 per person), departing from East/West Cowes to Southampton. (Where the patient is a child both parents travel under the scheme).

Patients wishing to claim the discount must complete a form which is available from Red Funnel’s ticket office or which can be downloaded from the Red Funnel or the Isle of Wight NHS Trust website. The completed form must be handed in to the ticket office, together with the patient’s appointment letter/card as proof of their appointment on the day of purchase.

The discounted fare normally applies to Day Return journeys for outpatient treatment but may be extended for inpatient treatment if the patient produces proof of required inpatient stay. Patients cannot travel before 08.45am unless at Red Funnel’s discretion, or the appointment time requires the patient to travel earlier. Telephone Red Funnel on 0844 844 9988, open 0800 – 1945, Mon – Fri or 0800 – 1745, Sat – Sun.

Patients with short notice appointments without a card or letter are considered at Red Funnel’s discretion. No refunds are given retrospectively.

Exclusions

The scheme does not include the carriage of vehicles between East Cowes and Southampton.

Patients travelling for a primary healthcare appointment e.g. GP, Dentist, Pharmacy or an Optician.

Retrospective claims, online booking, discounts with any other offer or promotion, account customers, and season/saver tickets.

Patients in receipt of benefits, which would entitle them to claim under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme.

The Healthcare Travel cost SchemeYou may be able to claim a refund under the ‘Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme’ (HTCS) of the cost of travelling to hospital or other NHS premises for NHS-funded treatment or diagnostic test arranged by a doctor or dentist.

To qualify for help with travel costs under the HTCS, you must meet three conditions:

At the time of your appointment, you or your partner (including civil partners) must be receiving one of the qualifying benefits or allowances, or meet the eligibility criteria of the NHS Low Income Scheme.

Your journey must be made to receive NHS-funded non-primary medical or non-primary dental care services, to which you have been referred to by a GP, dentist or hospital consultant.

For referrals made by a primary practitioner such a GP or dentist, the service must be provided on a different day and in premises other than those occupied by the practitioner who made the referral.

You can claim travel costs for your children if 2 or 3 above applies to them and you are in group 1 above at the time of the appointment. Any young person aged 16 or over may make their own LIS claim – there is more information in leaflet HC11 – Help with health costs.

You can claim travel costs for an escort, if your doctor, dentist or consultant says that for medical reasons you need someone to travel with you.

You cannot claim help with travel costs, if

You are visiting someone in hospital. However, visitors in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits may be able to receive assistance in the form of a Social Fund Payment. Further information about this assistance can be obtained from Job Centre Offices.

You are visiting your local GP or dentist for routine primary care services, such as check-ups, vaccinations, cervical cancer screening or minor surgery, as these are excluded from the scheme. Urgent primary care services during the out of hour periods (i.e. between 6.30pm and 8.00pm weekdays, at weekends or on bank holidays) are also excluded.

Qualifying Benefits for the Healthcare Travel Scheme

• Income Support,

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance,

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance,

• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or

• you are named on, or entitled to (use your award notice as evidence), a NHS tax credit exemption certificate, or

• you have a low income and are named on certificate HC2 (full help) or HC3 (limited help). To apply for this certificate, you should complete form HC1 available from your local hospital, Jobcentre Plus offices, or from the NHS Print Contract Orderline on 0300 123 0849 or,

• you are awarded Universal Credit.

Find out more about the NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS).

You should use the cheapest most appropriate means of transport, which in most cases will be public transport. If you travelled by car and your claim was approved you will be reimbursed for the cost of fuel at the mileage rate used by your local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). You will also be able to claim for unavoidable car parking and toll charges.

Where you are using a taxi for transport it is recommended that you check with the hospital or Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) before you travel to agree this.

You should take your travel receipts, appointment letter or card and proof that you are receiving one of the qualifying benefits to a nominated cashier’s office to claim your reimbursement.

Nominated cashiers offices are not restricted to hospitals and refer to any NHS unit that has a cashier facility. They are responsible for assessing the validity of the claim and making the payment directly to the eligible claimant.

If the hospital or clinic does not have a cashier facility, you can complete a HC5 (T) claim for travel charges and post it to the address stated on the form. You can make a postal claim up to three months after your appointment has taken place.